IN ^ --V^^U, -^-% J^ IV m ^"^^ "^i r^- r-'^^ ^ ">\,\ , ^-' A. i-o a^. ii ^^ ?■ ^ -r;;*^ CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY Cornell University Library DS 475.2.T21A3 V.1 Thirty-eight years in India :from Jugana 3 1924 021 024 835 2)5 A3 5«, r-^-Mi , J. THIRTY-EIGHT TEARS IN INDIA. Jfrom |ttganat| to i\t pimskp 90itntains. WILLIAM TAYLER, ESQ., BETIBED B.C.S., LATE COMMISSIONER OF PATNA. With loo Tulustrations by the Author, VOL I. LONDON : W. II. ALLEN & CO., 13 WATERLOO PLACE, PALL MALL. S.W. 1881. (All rights reserved.) LONDON : . ALLEN AND CO., 13, WATERLOO PLACE, S.W, Co tlje mik WHO, FOE FIFTY-ONE LONG YEARS, IN PBOSPEBITY AND ADVERSITY, HAS EVER BEEN THE JOY AND COMFORT OF MY LIFE, THIS BOOK IS AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED BY William Tayler, retired b.c.s. 1881. X Cornell University f Library The original of tiiis book is in tine Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924021024835 PEEFACE An autobiographer always apologises, or ought to apologise, to the public. My apology in the present instance is, that my life in India, instead of being monotonous and uninterest ing, as the life of a Bengal civilian usually is, has been varied and eventful. I have visited almost every station in Orissa and Bengal, have not only endured the depressing heat of the plains, but have enjoyed the glorious scenery and exhilarating climate of Darjeehug, Simlah, and Nepal ; have served in all departments of the State, including that of Postmaster-General, and have been more than once in danger of my life. In the Mutiny of 18S7, I was the Commissioner of Patna, and as a reward and recompense for saving the most important province of Bengal, was dismissed from my appointment with disgrace ; resigned the service to avoid starvation, and afterwards, when in an indepen- dent position, passed eight years replete with adventure and excitement. I may perhaps add that I went out to India in 1829, as a lad, and returned after thirty-eight VI PBEFACE. years as an extensive grandfather. And last, though not least, I have kept illustrations of all I saw or did during my life, from elephants to tooth-picks. To this imperfect catalogue of causes, I may add, with no ordinary gratitude, that during these long years of my varied existence, I have made and still retain a large body of sincere and noble friends, the value of whose attachment has been rendered more precious by the contrast which it has on several occasions afforded to the petty jealousy of a small band of interested opponents, and the unfeeling persecution of official tyranny. Here, then, is my apology, briefly sketched, but sufficient, I hope, to justify my egotism, disarm the criticism of the captious, and secure for my presump- tuous production the candid consideration of its readers. To those of my friends who have kindly assisted me with reminiscences, dates, and half-forgotten facts, I would here wish to offer my sincere and grateful thanks, and to all those who have shown their kind apprecia- tion of my work, by subscribing to the publication, my best acknowledgment for the encouragement which their names have afforded. W. TAYLBR. CONTENTS PAGE CHAPTEE I. How I OBTAINED MY InDIAN WeITEESHIP . . .1 CHAPTEE II. The Voyage out . . . . . .11 CHAPTEE III. Aekival in Calcutta . . . . . .22 CHAPTEE IV. The Ckow ....... 37 CHAPTEE V. Notabilities of Calcutta . . . . .58 CHAPTEE VI. First Yeae in Calcutta . . . . .76 CHAPTEE VII. Calcutta . . . . . . .99 CHAPTEE VIII. CuTTACK ....... 108 CHAPTEE IX. CuTTACK, Second Visit ... . 121 CHAPTEE X. CuTTACK, Second Visit (continued) .... 138 CHAPTEE XL Cuttaok [continued) . . . . . .166 VIU CONTENTS. CHAPTEK XII. lAGE First Appointment to Buedwan . . . .181 CHAPTEE XIII. Eesumption Contbovbksy ..... 219 CHAPTEK XIV. Calcutta ....... 229 CHAPTEE XV. CuTTACK, Third Visit ..... 248 CHAPTEE XVI. CuTTACK ONCE MORE ...... 259 CHAPTEE XVII. Eetuen FROM Cape ...... 286 CHAPTEK XVIII. MiDNAPOEE ....... 304 CHAPTEE XIX. Secretariat Finesse ..... 337 CHAPTEK XX. KiSHNAGHUR ....... 355 CHAPTEE XXI. KiSHNAGHUR (continued) ..... 372 CHAPTEK XXII. Eeturn to Calcutta ...... 396 CHAPTEK XXIII. Chowringheb ....... 429 CHAPTEE XXIV. First Tour as Postmaster-General .... 452 CHAPTEK XXV. My Second Tour ...... 480 THE ONLY SEEIOUS OBSTACLE wmcH THE PRINCE OF WALES MET WITH IN HIS TOUE THROUGH INDIA, Although the interesting incident which I have exhibited in the frontispiece of this book did not take place until several years after the period at which my Autobiography terminates, yet, as the auspicious and eventful visit of His Eoyal Highness the Prince of Wales, so wisely conceived and so successfully carried out, produced a most favourable impression throughout the country, I need scarcely apologise for introducing the little group, though at the sacrifice of chronological consistency, in a book devoted to Indian realities. The scene represents one of the well known Sir Frank Souter's gallant troopers clearing the way for the royal carriage. The man was a reality, the child a fortuitous though characteristic atom. Both were taken from life. It is possible that His Eoyal Highness may not himself have been fully aware of the serious obstacles which occasionally had to be removed from his path. W, T. THIETY-EIGHT YEARS IN INDIA, FEOM JUGANATH TO THE HIMALAYA MOUNTAINS. CHAPTER I. How I oMained my Indian Writership. — Sudden change of Career. Interview with Director of the East India Company. — Exa- mination. — Caricatures in lieu of Algebra. — Passage taken in the " Victory. " — Captain Earquharson. — Trip by Coach to Portsmouth with my brother Frederick Tayler. — Grlimpse of my future Wife, then Miss Palmer. — My Brother's Prediction. — Love at First Sight. — My Brother's imaginary Sketch of my Eeturn to England. — ^Prophecy how fulfilled. That " Great events from little causes spring" is a fact wHcli doubtless had presented itself to many bewildered mortals long before the elopement of Helen brought destruction upon Troy, but that a mere accident, totally unexpected, and which could I. 1 ii THIETY-EIGHT YEARS TN INDIA. never have entered into the calculations of the person principally affected, should, in a minute of time, entirely and radically change the whole course of his future life, is not a very usual, and may fairly be termed a strange occurrence. But this is precisely and literally what happened to me at the eventful period of my life, when just passing from legal " infancy " to practical manhood. " There's a divinity which shapes our ends, Eough-hew them how we will." In the spring of 1829 I was staying in the house of a friend in Devonshire who held a writership, and expected to go very shortly to India. His father was bed-ridden through protracted and hopeless disease. His mother and sisters were in the house. One morning, after breakfast, my friend came into the room where I was sitting, and told me his father had just died ; that he had left him £800 a-year, and he therefore intended to remain in England; adding, *' I have no idea of going to that abominable country, to be devoured by mosquitos and killed by cholera." Then, suddenly, and evidently on the spur of the moment, turning to me, he said, " By-the-bye, would you like to have my appointment?" Seeing that I treated the offer as a joke, he added, " I really mean it, and am sure it could be managed. I will fetch my mother." He then left the room, and in a few minutes returned with his good mother, who con- firmed what he said ; but added, that if I wished to accept the appointment I must make up my mind at once, as she considered it a point of honour to inform SUDDEN OHANGH IN MY CAKEEE. 3 the Director who had given it, -without delay of her son's decision. Here was an anxious and be- wildering moment ! Never had I dreamed of leaving England. I had been educated at the Charterhouse ; had kept my first term at Ohristchurch ; looked for- ward to academical honours ; and my dear mother had made up her mind that I was to become Lord High Chancellor, or Archbishop of Canterbury, at least I Far away from her, from all my relations and friends, with little real knowledge of what an Indian career offered or contained, with a few minutes only for reflection or argument, I had to decide a question which affected my whole future life and prospects. It was a crisis ; but there was a certain fascination in the novelty presented. Speaking as a Mahomedan, I should say my "kismut," or destiny, impelled me; speaking as a Christian, I say that Grod guided me. I gave my consent, the bargain was closed, and the kind old lady wrote her letter. Thus did the fortuitous caprice of one unstable, though kindly individual, instantaneously upset the premeditated plans and deliberate calculations of his feUow-mortal, carrying with it a chain of unlooked-for results, and bringing home to my mind what we are too apt to forget, that we are biit poor and helpless creatures, whose lives are in higher hands than our own. Often have I amused myself with the reflection that, but for this, which most would call, accident ; had I not been in that house at that particular moment ; had not my volatile friend been imbued with horror at the idea of mosquitos and cholera, and had not the 1 * 4 t:birtt-eight tears in indta. appointment been lield by the mother on conditions whicli enabled her to transfer it, I should never hare seen India; never have met the wife with whom I have passed more than fifty years of uninterrupted happiness; the forty grand-children whom I now possess would never have seen the light, and Patna would not have been endangered by my " violent and unwise proceedings " in the Mutiny of 1857. "When the Director's assent was received, I started for London. It was one of those years in which extra writers were required, and twenty appointments were given to candidates who had not been to the pre- paratory college at Hayleybury, but who were prepared to pass the required examination. Henry Torrens, J. Crawford, Pierce Taylor, Thomas Pycroft, and many other well-known civilians were among those who thus obtained their writer- ships. Directly I reached London I called, as in duty bound, on Mr. Huddlestone, the director who had con- sented to transfer the appointment — a kind old gentle- man, who gave me excellent counsel, and, above all othe¥ things, advised me to eat as much rice as possible when I reached India. The next step was the examination, and, as this ordeal was accompanied by rather an amusing incident, I will briefly describe it. The ceremony took place at the old "India House," in Leadenhall Street. Two examiners, an Oxonian and a Cantab, were deputed for the occasion ; there was a test-paper distributed, but the examinees were allowed to send BXAMINATIOK" AT THE INDIA HOUSE. 6 in a list of extra books in wliich they were willing, for distinction's sake, to be examined. Having reacbed a somewbat advanced stage in Grreek and Latin, my list of Classics was alarming, and it was hinted that, to some extent, I was hum- bugging the examiners. The consequence was, that I was subjected to an extra ordeal, to prove the reality of my professed acquirements. This was, per- haps, fortunate, as the result, being favourable, helped to save me from a dilemma. In the test list was a paper in algebra, Now I had been educated at the Charterhouse, and had never learned either mathematics or algebra, and some thought that on this account I might be spun. There was no help for it, however — algebra could not be learned in a day — so, when the paper came before me, I wrote, with many misgivings, on a separate piece, "I have never learned algebra;" then, under- neath, I drew some absurd caricatures, and left the papers all together. Shortly afterwards we retired to a sideboard in the room to eat some sandwiches, and while there, I saw one of the examiners approach my table ; it was a nervous moment ; he raised my paper and read the fatal words ; but immediately afterwards he took up my artistic performances, then quietly beckoned his fellow examiner, and, to my great delight, I saw them both in fits of laughter ! To this auspicious interlude of the comic, combined with my successful examination in the Classics, I attribute the happy issue. Not only was I not plucked, but passed second on the list, the first place being 6 THIETT-EIGHT YEARS IN INDIA. taken by Mr. (now Sir Thomas) Pycroft, who, like a •' good boy," did know algebra, and who was up in all the subjects. It is a curious fact that, while caricature helped me out of a difficulty on this occasion, in subsequent years, as will be shown hereafter, it led, during another examination, to a serious disaster. " All is well that ends well," however. The exami- nation auspiciously passed, outfit procured, and the pain of farewell from many loved ones gone through, I set out for my long voyage to the east, with new hopes and new aspirations, a very scanty and imper- fect knowledge of what was before me, but a sensation of pleasurable excitement, caused by the very am- biguity and haziness of my condition. In those bygone days of which I am writing, the snort of the iron horse had only just been heard in the broad realms of Neptune ; and our voyage was, therefore, to be made in one of the old East India ships. That selected was the "Victory," a well-known first-class vessel, commanded by a very popular man, Captain Charles Farquharson, and was to sail from Portsmouth. To Portsmouth, therefore, I and my dearest brother Frederick, well-known as, for many years, the President of the old "Water-colour Society, (the last survivor, now, of my eight brothers) travelled, not in the rapid rail-carriage, but in the old fashioned though comfortable stage coach. Next morning the passengers all set off to the "Victory," which was lying at anchor at the usual distance from the pier ; one large party went together EMBARKATION AT POETSMOUTH. 7 in a yacht ; others in smaller vessels ; my brother and I chose a boat and went together, rowed by a rough old sailor, who amused us, as far as we could be amused, by his quaint remarks. We went together on board, and as we stepped up the ladder we caught sight of a party of ladies and gentlemen, among whom was Miss C. Palmer, now my wife, and joint proprietor of the forty grand- children. After looking at her, my brother suddenly turned to me and said, " William, you're done for " — little, perhaps, really imagining how soon and how surely his anticipations would be fulfilled. The sentence was curiously prophetic, and received additional strength from the fact that many others, having heard that a remarkably pretty girl was to be a fellow-passenger, and knowing that I was not inac- cessible to beauty, had, some in joke, some in earnest, uttered the same prediction. Of my feelings at parting with my beloved brother I wiU not venture to speak, but will here give an extract from a letter received from him many months afterwards, which will give the reader an idea of our last moments, and will shew that his prophecy, uttered as we stepped on board, had become a reality sooner than even he expected. 22, Holland Street, Dec. 19tli, 1830. Mt Dearest "William, To attempt in a few lines to say a thousandth part of my say is totally impossible ; most difficult is it to know where to begin. But for this feeling, which has unconsciously had its 8 THIETY-EIGHT YEARS IN INDIA. weight with me, you would, long ere this, have heard from me. I often look back with a kind of melancholy pleasure to the moment of our parting. The tragic was so strangely mixed with the ridiculous, for, in leaving the stern of the ship, one of the last things that caught my eye was Mrs. F., whipping one of her children in a most business-like manner, ia I suppose, the captain's cabin! The sailor who gave you a receipt for the prevention of sea-sickness, seeing me not a little eggy, observed, " I suppose you two be brother's ben't ye ? Well, d n my eyes, I parted from my brother just as it might be with you, and I blubbered like a two- year old, d n my eyes." Tou may easUy thiak that Portsmouth, when I returned to it, was not the most agreeable place in the world. I made a reso- lution to leave it immediately on foot, as no coach was to be had till the evening. Had it not been for my luggage I should have done so ; as it was, being unable to bear the sun, I strolled along the beach, and made use of the glasses of the Preventive Service men to catch a last glimpse of the " Victory." She was soon, however, out of sight, and I wandered, I hardly knew where, till, feelmg sleepy, I laid down on the beach, and was awakened by the waves coming phizzing up my legs. All this seems but a day or two ago, and now, to fancy you are married, which I conclude you are by this time. I have no distinct recollection of your ca/ra, but it is enough for me that she is the " Goddess of your idolatry," to make me feel already the affection of a brother towards her ; and the coun- tenance of the miniature you have sent is expressive of every- thing delightful, rather more of the suaviter than the fortiter, which ia a woman is perfection. And now, my dearest William, I must conclude. I am sure you are well aware of the sincerity and warmth of my affection, so I shall say no more on that score, neither shall I be didactic or descriptive on the delight that your letters will afford me at all times. But I will say that the greatest pleasure that I look for- ward to is your settled return to this country, rich and happy, with your better half hanging upon your arm, ayahs of sorts, &c. ; but, stay, I think I could depict it better in pencil MI beothbe's imaginaet geoup. VNf Since writing the above I have seen Eepton (who sends you this letter), and heard several little incidents of yourself and your beloved — highly interesting. He describes you with an enormous pair of whiskers, eating buns, and sketching caricatures at Poorah, or some such out- landish name. Your Charlotte, he says, is infinitely prettier than the miniature, the belle of Calcutta, and altogether a charming person. And now, my dearest William, do he economical, and take care of yourself, or, rather, suffer your wife to take care of you, and in a few short years you will be able to return to us all, as my sketch describes. God bless you ever. (Signed) Tour very affectionate brother, r. Taylek. Thirty-eight years had elapsed after this letter was written, ere my brother's anticipations were fulfilled. 10 THIRTY-EIGHT YEARS IN INDIA. In 1867, however, I did return, with my wife, metaphorically at least, " hanging on my arm," though neither of us were exactly in the costume which his artistic imagination depicted. But, alas ! we arrived, not to find a large family group, as represented, with my beloved mother at its head to greet us — as the youngest of seventeen chil- dren, I could not hope for this — but, at least, I found my dear brother, the writer of the letter, alive and in the zenith of his fame, while the imaginary children of the picture were not unworthily represented by our children's children ! And I came after a long and faithful service in India, not to repose on my laurels, or reap the reward of anxious labour, but to do battle against misrepre- sentation and slander, to struggle in the sacred cause of truth against injustice and wrong, to contend against Principalities and Powers, and ask in the presence of God and man for justice. How far my struggle has been successful will be Been before this work is concluded. 11 CHAPTER II. Departure from Portsmouth. — Preliminary Sufferings. — First Meeting at Dinner. — Fellow Passengers. — Strategic change of Places at the Table with the amiable Ensign. — Satisfactory Eesult. — Miss C. Palmer. — Eealization of my Brother's Pre- diction. — Auspicious Voyage. — Uninterrupted Enjoyment. — Lawyer S . — His peculiarities. — Submission to young Wife. — Iniquitous Conspiracy agaiast him. — Other Human Oddities. — Lawyer S 's Shower Bath. — Private Theatricals. — The Major's Prologue. — Exhaustion of Tobacco. — Arrival in the Bay of Bengal. At length, the moment of departure arrived. Friends and relations took their leave amidst smiles and tears; my own dear brother descended into his boat, the anchor was raised, and the buoyant "Victory" hoisted sail, and swept outwards on her course. The wind was fair, and the sea at first tolerably smooth; but undulation soon commenced. Mental sufferings gave way to physical discomfort, sympathy was displaced by sickness, and we neophytes saw little of one another for the succeeding four-and-twenty hours, which were occupied, at least by some, in 12 THIETT-BIGHT TEARS IN INDIA. paying tribute to Neptune. When we did, however, meet, which was at the "witching hour" of dinner about the third day, we discovered, to our mutual satisfaction, that, although there were some absentees, we were a large and, as all, I fancy, considered, a pleasant-looking party. There was Captain Farquharson, who commanded the ship, his wife, and brother, a young civilian ; Mr. H. Palmer, with two unmarried sisters ; Mr. C. Palmer, with his wife ; Vernon Jillard, of the 16th Lancers, engaged to another sister in India. These formed in them- selves a large party. Then there was Mrs. McNabb, mother of the present Mrs. John "Walter, with a young friend under her charge; Miss Eaikes, Miss Wrist, and Miss Diggle, unmarried damsels; an old gen- tleman, Captain Smith, with his young wife; Major O'Halloran, an Irish officer, with two young sisters ; Colonel Anstruther; Lieutenants Eustace and Simpson; and, lastly. Pierce Taylor, companion of my cabin, a writer like myself, brother of the now well-known General Reynell Taylor, of Punjab renown, — the whole assemblage numbering twenty-two souls. " Fax, far upon the sea, Tlie good ship speeding free, Upon the deck we gather, young and old ; And view the flapping sail Spreading out before the gale, Full and round, without a wrinkle or a fold." It was not till about the fourth day that the whole party assembled, several of the ladies, and among them the Misses Palmer, having been unable to pre- i?IEST MEETING OF PASSENGERS AT DINNER. 13 sent themselves before. When we took our places at tlie dinner-table, I found that, while the ladies of the Palmer party were placed at the top of the table in close proximity to the Captain, I, with the other juveniles of the inferior sex, was at the bottom ; and that being on the same side of the table with Miss Charlotte Palmer, I could not catch even a glimpse of the countenance which had so struck my artist brother, and given rise to his prediction. Now, as I had been by no means an unimpassioned observer of the beauty which excited his admiration, I was far from satisfied with my position; and immediately endeavoured to exert that "ingenuity and artifice" which Mrs. Malaprop recommended to Sir Anthony Absolute as one of the principal qualifications to be instUled into the youthful mind. I accordingly in- duced an amiable young ensign, who was seated opposite, and who had no particular object to attract his gaze, to change places with me, and thus secured the happiness of an uninterrupted prospect of the face which had so enchanted us, throughout the entire passage. If I were to attempt to describe the voyage, with its varied incidents, in detail, I should fill a volume, and should, perhaps, trench too far on the privileges of private companionship. Never, however, I verily believe, was there a more pleasant period spent on the broad seas ; never more elements or occasions for fun and social jollity. To me, I need hardly say, the days were replete with enjoyment, the nights with happy thoughts ; for I had within a few hours realized the predictions of my facetious or far-seeing friends, 14 TfllETT-BIGHT YEARS IN mBlA. and fallen desperately in love with the fair, I may truly say, the lovely. Miss Palmer. But there were some specimens of human oddity at whom I may, not unreasonably, glance. There was a stout old gentleman returning to India, who was notorious for his devotion to games of chance, his skill at all such games, and his remarkable powers of calculation. He was nicknamed throughout the Presi- dency in which he lived. Lawyer S . But he had in his declining years married a young and handsome wife, and his "little game" was over. She had extracted a pledge from him that he would never play a game of chance again. Chess alone was per- mitted ; but to satisfy his calculating and arithmetical powers, she used to send him out of her cabin every morning, while engaged with her toilet, with a large slate, on which she had set down a most diflScult sum; and the excellent and obedient husband might be seen, in demi-toilette, pacing up and down the steerage, slate in hand, his brow knit, and his lips moving, devoutly bent upon his task. But this was not the only amusing incident of Lawyer S 's life on board. His recreations being limited to chess, the energetic old gentleman had concentrated all his faculties on that game. He was a fair, and only a fair, player ; about equal, perhaps a little more skilful, than myself and several others on board. Ip the enthusiastic enjoyment of this his only permitted amusement, he constantly challenged one or other of us ; the depth of his absorption in the issue of each game caused universal amusement, and led some of us, I grieve to say, into an unholy FRAUDULENT ALLIANCE. 16 conspiracy against liim. Oliarles Palmer, Pierce Taylor, and myself agreed to form a secret alliance, embracing sundry signs and sounds, which were to be employed for the warning or assistance of the one of us who happened to be playing with the enthusiast, and so to manage matters that throughout the whole voyage he should not win a single game. This scheme was iniquitously carried out. The three heads were better than one ; and as each player was nearly equal in his single capacity to the vqteran antagonist, the victory was easily secured. Once or twice a conspirator was sore pressed, and then the plan settled was to remain in apparently deep con- templation without moving, till the old gentleman, who was as irritable as he was enthusiastic, would get up and walk away to the end of the saloon, saying, with his back turned, " Tell me when you are going to move!" Little did he gauge the wickedness of his rivals. His departure was a signal for flagitious deeds ; for, before he returned, the position of the pieces had been altered — perhaps one of his pieces abstracted. In short, wickedness, as it generally does, flourished throughout the voyage. But the conspirators were not wholly bad. Before we parted we revealed to the dear old sufferer the whole or- ganisation of the secret society; and his delight at discovering that he had not, as he imagined, been always honestly defeated in the intellectual contest, more than compensated for the supposed humiliation. No one laughed more heartily than himself over the trick, or questioned us with greater gusto over the particulars of our tactics. 16 THIRTY-EIGHT YEARS IN INDIA. One other inexcusable act I am tempted to relate, though of all the sin of the execution I must solely bear the blame. Lawyer S was a burly, stout man, somewhat Falstaffian about the body and waist. He was fond of bathing ; and, with his usual contemplative ingenuity, had devised a new and sensational mode of lavation. He would appear with the upper section of his per- son in a state of semi-nudity, tiie nether portion en- veloped in that special description of Turkish trouser which in India we call " pyejamehs." Thus attired, he would take up his position under the poop of the vessel, with his legs stretched out, while a sailor, standing above with several buckets, at a given signal, dashed the cold water violently over his head. Anything more artistically delicious than this group it is difficult to conceive ; and its frequent repetition was too much for a temperament painfully susceptible of the ridiculous, as I, unfortunately, am. My evil genius suggested an addition to the ceremony ; and one morning, just as the performance was coming off, I went up to the poop, obtained a broom, andi standing by the side of the sailor who was to pour the water, just as the stream descended on Lawyer S , scrubbed his head violently with the broom, and then rapidly moved aside to watch the effect of the manoeuvre. The attitude and expression of the old gentleman, the astonishment with which he put his hands to his head, and looked up with the water streaming over his face, the pose, the uncertainty, and the costume — the innocent countenance of the sailor, who had been LAWYBB S S BATH. 17 pledged to secrecy — this combination of mental and physical oddities formed a tableau of surpassing charm. Lawyer S never knew what had hap- pened; but frequently spoke with admiration of the 18 THIETY-EIGHT YEABS IN INDIA. force and rapidity with whicli the water had been dashed over him! During the voyage I got up " The Rivals," in which Lawyer S distinguished himself as Bob Acres' country servant David. P. Taylor made an excellent Bob Acres, Colonel Anstruther was Mrs. Malaprop, and I myself took the part of Sir Anthony Absolute and Sir Lucius 0' Trigger, changing my wig and coat as each character appeared on the stage. " The School for Scandal" followed, when P. Taylor was an ad- mirable Lady Teazle to my Sir Peter ; and the Lancer, in the character of Charles Surface, amused the audience by his impassioned toasting of Maria in the after-dinner scene, whom he called " Mawia." There were many other eccentric characters on board, whose appearance, sayings, and doings would afford amusing subjects of portraiture ; but I will only mention one or two more. There was Major , an Irish officer, kind-hearted and impulsive, but rather peculiar-looking; very tall and thin, with nothing broad about him but his accent. Two sisters were with him, interesting and ladylike girls, though too young to have attained fuU grace of figure. The Major had many amiable qualities and an overbearing appetite. "What specially amused us all was that he managed always at dinner to have two plates going, one on each side of the table ; so that he had double rations. And this peculiarity was specially exhibited when one day, not far from the land, an un- happy half-starved snipe came on board, and was caught. This he had roasted and brought up at DEAMATIC PEEFOEMANCE. 19 dinner-time, when lie earefuUy helped each of his sisters, who sat on either side of him, with a leg — something like a hairpin — and ate the rest of the bird himself. On one occasion the dear good man caused great amusement. When we had decided on acting " The Rivals," I wanted a prologue, and asked the Major, among others, whether he could write one. At the moment he disclaimed all poetic powers ; but the next day I saw him, as I passed his cabin after breakfast, busily engaged in writing something. This went on for a fortnight ; and, as his cabin was exactly opposite mine, I had full opportunities for observation. At the end of the fortnight he came up to me one day with a paper in his hand, saying, " Tayler, you asked me the other day if I could write a prologue. Faith ! then I'm no poet at all, at all ; but it struck me this morning that I might do some- thing of the sort; so I've just jotted down these few lines, and, if they'll do, bedad, you're welcome to them!" He then handed me an elaborate prologue, evidently the result of his fortnight's labour, with an excru- ciating bit of bad grammar in the fourth line. It began thus : — " Dame nature, ever wanton, seeks Variety in all her freaks. Tliese strange vagaries of tlie jade Much metamorphose here has made." The dodge was ludicrously transparent; but I thanked him cordially, and at once adopted the pro- 2 * 20 THIETY-EIGHT YEARS IN INDIA. logue, looking forward to soroe additional fun in its production. And I was not mistaken. It was committed to Captain Jillard, of the Lancers, to be spoken; and the author was unceasing in urging him to learn it per- fectly, suggesting the right emphasis and expression for the different sentiments contained. As the day drew near his anxiety increased, and he seemed to be troubled with anticipations of failure ; and his pre- vision was not far wrong. Captain Jillard, a most amiable and jolly fellow, was not exactly the person to learn his lesson perfectly ; and he had one pecu- liarity, already noticed, viz., that he never pro- nounced his r's, but converted them into w's. This had a bad effect at starting, especially in the second Hne, which was perverted into — " Vawiety in all her fweaks ! " The poor Major stood with me behind the scenes during the repetition, and his agony was fearful to witness. The w's pained him ; but when the Captain got further on, and broke down again and again, making a terrible hash of the little sense there was in the poem, my companion could hardly contain himself, and at one time was almost rushing on to the stage to rescue by violence his suffering verses. Such were some of the amusing incidents of our life on board ship — happy, especially to me. The whole voyage was one uninterrupted period of cheerfulness and geniality, untainted, save by one boyish dispute easily settled, by a single quarrel or contretemps. The only occasion on which coun- AeEIVAL in bay 01* BElSfGAL. 21 tenances were gloomy and spirits depressed was near the close, when all the tobacco — even the quids of the sailors, which were greedily purchased — had been expended. "I alone, among them all," was still happy ; for I never smoked. Once only in my boyhood I had made the attempt, in imitation of my seniors, but was so ill that I never ventured on the ex- periment again. On this occasion I gloried in my isolation ; but even the days of no tobacco will pass away, and our near approach to the end of the voyage, which everyone longed for, except myself, helped to restore equanimity to the smokeless world. And when we at last entered the " Bay of Bengal," faces were almost as smooth as the surface of the sea. 22 THIKTY-l^IClHT ¥eAES IN INDIA. CHAPTEK III. AEEIVAL IN CALCUTTA. Arrival in Calcutta. — The Victory anchors in the Eiver. — The Palmer Party leave the Vessel for Mr. John Palmer s House on the Banks of the Eiver. — The other Passengers remain on Board. — Musquitos. — Jackalls. — Ship weighs Anchor next Morning. — We are met by a Pinnace, containing John Elliott, George Battye, and others. — I am invited by Mr. Elliott to go to his House. — Arrival at the Ghat. — First Impressions of the " City of Palaces." — Partial Disappointment. — All leave the Vessel. — I go up in a Palankeen. — Engage an Indian Bearer (Doorjun) on my way. — Eeach Mr. Elliott's House. — Eetke to my Eoom. — Sad Eeminiscences. — Letters from Friends and Eelations received before leaving England. — Tiffin. — The Crow. On the evening of the 29th October 1829 the gallant Victory cast anchor in the Hooghly, some little distance still from the Ghat, or landing-place of Calcutta, but well within the confines of " Garden Keach." In two or three hours, a boat was seen approaching, and as it drew near, it was found to be a private THE .PALMEE FAMILY LEAVE THE VESSEL. 23 "bhauleah," with two of the Messrs. . Palmer, brothers of the young ladies on board, who had come to take away their party; Mr. John Palmer's beautiful house was situated on the banks of the river, a short distance from the spot in which we were anchored. The departure of so large a number of our fellow- passengers left a sad blank in our assembly, and, as it was too late for others to leave the ship, the rest of us remained on board, some retiring to their cabins, others sitting or reclining on deck, engaged in desultory con- versation, recalling the incidents of the voyage, and speculating, more or less hopefully, on the unknown future before us. But we were not alone ; as the night advanced, a subdued persistent hum assailed our ears, becoming gradually louder and more loud, and after a few minutes we were introduced to the musical society of the persevering and irrepressible mosquito, with whom some of us at least were destined to enjoy unpleasant intimacy hereafter. The following lines will give my readers a vivid idea of these musical tormentors ; they appeared in the Englishman's Weekly Journal in 1866 : — " I've heard folk sing that Indian dime Possesses all that 's rare and nice ; In fact, 'tis, if you trust their rhyme, A sort of earthly paradise : Listen to the lay of one Who can tell you if you please, What it is to live alone, Victim to mofussil creatui''s — Fed upon by fleas, Eaten by ' Muskeeturs.' ^'-t THIETY-EIGHT YEAllS IN iNDlA. " When all my daily work is o'er, I sit and try my miud to clear, With blackest pipe, and one — no more — Imperial quart of Bass's beer ; In then they begin to come, At first, perhaps, by twos and threes, Make my best arm-chair their home. Would my best friend know my featur's ? Fed upon by fleas, Eaten by ' Muskeeturs.' *' I dare not now at croquet play, I dare not go where Mary goes, How can a fellow soft things say. When conscious of a bottle nose? No ! I wander out at night, Eestless, broken, ill at ease. Do they leave me then ? Not quite ! Insects think there 's nought so sweet as Me fed on by fleas. Eaten by ' Muskeeturs.' " The judge to dinner asks me out. But how can I my dress togs put on, With feet swelled up as if with gout. And hands as big as legs of mutton ? Tho' the judge has fairish wine. And his beer with me agrees — Yet, alas, I must decline ; Not for me now such a treat is — Fed upon by fleas, Eaten by ' Muskeeturs.' The mosquito has been so frequently described by different injured parties, who have suffered from the httle creature's " reckless thirst for blood " — a quality which has lately been ascribed to myself — that I will not recapitulate exhausted metaphors. The best authority At^lMAL MUSIC. 26 on such subjects is, perhaps, the discomfited young lady who is rendered unfit for the enjoyment of the ball of which she had been dreaming, by the unfeeling deglutition of the " young blood " of her graceful ancles — and to her, or the exhausted " fat man," into whose curtains two or three of the more practised blood-suckers have cunningly penetrated — I confidently refer for a true portraiture of the buzzing tyrant. Being myself charitably disposed towards a created being, who for carrying out its inevitable instincts becomes an object of universal detestation, I am glad to be able to ascribe one small meritorious attribute — though not, I fear, of much practical advantage — to the fleshy tyrant. The derivation of the word " canopy " has for many years been a subject of doubt and difficulty to the learned etymologist- - though possibly Mr. Gladstone may in his enthusiastic pursuit of " philology " have discovered its true root. The mosquito is at the bottom of it. Konops is the Greek for mosquito, and Konopeion a mosquito-net, the original canopy. Hoping that the fly may appreciate and be grateful for a discovery which will introduce him into the august society of modern philologists, I wish him farewell for the present. Not long afterwards, as if the animal world of the East was determined to present itself, with as little delay as possible, to our notice, we were suddenly saluted by a chorus of the most unearthly howhngs, within a few yards of the ship ; an " Ululatus " the loudest and most discordant that I ever heard, even during my long residence in India. 26 THIETt-EIGHT YEAES IN INDIA. It was evidently a great meeting of jackals, assem- bled at some unusual feast ; a Guildhall dinner on dead Hindoos, a chorus to be remembered, and which in the silence and darkness of the night partook of the diabolical. THE JACKAL AT DINNEK. Next morning we weighed anchor, and sailed slowly up the Hooghly. As we passed Mr. John Palmer's house, nearly at the end of the " Reach," the sailors manned the yards and raised a hearty cheer in honour of the owner, a man respected and revered by all in Calcutta. We saw, as we passed Mr. Palmer's house, the valued companions of our pleasant voyage standing in the verandah waving their handkerchiefs, and one attractive form at least was recognised by me. As we sailed up the river a pinnace met us, carrying several passengers, who had come purposely to meet the Victorij ; among them were Mr. G. Battye and the Hon. John EUiott, one of the most popular of Anglo-Indians, nephew of Lord Minto, and at that time Postmaster-General of Bengal, with the spirit of generous hospitality for which India was INVITATION BY JOHN ELLIOT. 2? then, and is still, to some extent, renowned (spite of reduction of salaries and rise of prices), Mr. Elliott invited me, though a stranger, to accompany my friend and cabin companion, Pierce Taylor, as a guest to his house, and as R. Farquharson, the brother of our captain, as well as Captain Farquharson himself and his wife, were also to be his guests, we formed a large party, and on reaching the Ghat and bidding farevs^ell to our fellow-passengers, wended our way to his house in Chowringhee Road, some in Mr. EUiott's carriage, others, and myself among the number, in a palankeen, for the first time in our lives. A curious incident happened to me on the way. A fat little man with a large turban and pleasant face ran along by the side of my palankeen, and in broken English offered himself as my " sirdar bearer " or head domestic servant. I read the letters he showed me, and liking his countenance, appearance, and manner, at once engaged him. I have got his portrait, but as I am warned to curtail the number of my illustrations, I re- luctantly withhold it. The character of this man afforded a striking specimen of the many good qualities which are frequently found, as I have since experienced, in the native of India, Hindoo and Mahomedan. My little factotum " Doorjun," was simply a pattern ; honesty, patience, devotion to his master's interests, general amiability and unswerving faithfulness were in him conspicuous. He lived with us for more than tvfenty years, and when he died I might truly say "I could have better spared a better man." Peace be to his manes. 28 THIE'TY-EIGHl! YEARS iN INDIA. I had in my early days heard httle, and imagined- less, of India. My father, who while living on his own estates was ruined by a dishonest agent, and subse- quently entered the army, had died when I was four years old, leaving my mother a widow with seventeen children. My eldest brother, Archdale Wilson Tayler, had been there as chaplain for some years when I was a child, and returned, while I was yet a boy, to England, where shortly afterwards he obtained a living. He subsequently became rector of Stoke Newington, but I saw too little of him to obtain any information of his Eastern experience. What, as children, we specially remarked on his return from India was his extreme politeness to the female sex. He never could see a lady in room, garden, or passage, without, offering his arm ; and I well remember one day, when he called upon a family with whom we were on terms of intimacy, the mischievous traps that were laid by some of the younger maidens of the party, not, I fear, without my complicity, with a view to encourage his chivalrous attentions ; such are the trifles which leave their impression on the youthful mind. The excellence of his real character, his true, though unostentatious spirit of religion, amiability and unselfish- ness, were duly understood and appreciated in after years when, with his attached and intellectual wife, formerly Miss Heathfield, he had charge of our dear children during the many years of our enforced absence from England. Another brother had gone out to India as a cadet in 1823. He was an extraordinary character, and the name of FAMILY REMINISCENCES. 29 " Tom Taylei- " was for many years afterwards notorious at Harrow. He formed, however, an intimate friendship with the young Duke of Dorset, who dying while yet at school, left him a handsome legacy, which, with Lord Olive's pension subsequently obtained, ren- dered him independent. Tom Tayler's eccentricities were fabulous, and he injured all his prospects in life by incessant practical jokes, which though intensely amusing to the spectators, were injurious to him. He never wrote home to our mother for years after his departure for India, but suddenly one day, without the slightest warning, made his appearance in Hinde Street, were we then lived, and in answer to the general exclamation of astonishment, gravely said that the heat was so oppressive, and the mosquitos, so troublesome, he really could not stay in India ! In reality he had served throughout the first Burmese war, in which he was wounded. His volatile character, after affording entertainment, if not anxiety, to his friends for many years, was before his death transformed into deep religious convictions which never left him while life lasted. But all these incidents had long passed, and left no distinct impression of Indian Hfe upon my mind. Of Oalcutta, and its grand appellation of " City of Palaces," I had of course frequently heard, and although I was not like the being described in the Calcutta Review, who " dreams of turbaned horsemen, ghttering scimitars, and snorting Arabs," I certainly did look forward with pleasurable expectation to the sight of something romantic, if not exceptionally grand. 30 THIETY- EIGHT YEAES IN INDIA. And I confess I was to some extent disappointed — " turbaned horsemen," "glittering scimitars," and all such oriental objects, I looked for in vain ; not an Arab horse was to be seen, not the shadow of an elephant, not the scent of a tiger could be discovered. In our passage up the river we certainly had seen handsome houses with flourishing gardens, and I had welcomed the palm-trees as giving a foretaste of the oriental scenery which I anticipated. But on reaching the Ghat, or landing-place, all such visions vanished. There was crowded shipping, a fort, some handsome-looking mansions, a striking structure, called the Bishop's palace, on the opposite side of the river, and a noble building pointed out as the Govern- ment House ; but this was the only real ' ' palace " to be seen. The objects that immediately met the senses were fat baboos, shabby palankeens, creaking bullock- carts, break-down keranchees, one or two melancholy adjutants, a sprinkling of pariah dogs, crows in abun- dance, odours multifarious. These were the objects around and before us ; imagination was starved, romance yielded to reality, dreams and visions vanished into thin air. The whole scene, in short, was disappointing, at least to me, probably because I had looked for something altogether different. What was noticeable was not, as I expected. Eastern, and had in it no tinge of romance; the houses, though large and handsome, were square and unadorned — no domes, or pillars, or arches to be seen. The fact is, " orientalism " anglicised is prosaic ; the brown semi-nude figures which might strike the sight, we had seen and become accustomed to the day before, CALCUTTA DEBIVATION OF NAME. 31 the rest of the human world were common -place and unmipooiug. The disappointment was my own fault : I had allowed imagination to feed itself without restraint or correction by study or research ; I suffered accord- ingly. Some of my readers may be interested in knowing the derivation of the word " Calcutta." It is in fact taken from the name of the wonderful goddess " Kali," the wife of Shiva, otherwise called " Doorgan " ; but I shall in a future chapter give a full description, with a portrait of this interesting young lady, when I treat of the Thugs, those amiable individuals who gain their livelihood by strangling their fellow-creatures, and who do all under the special patronage of Kali. There is a celebrated temple a few miles from Calcutta, at a place called " Kali -Ghat," dedicated to this deity, and it is from this that, by a slight metamorphose of letters, the name of Calcutta is derived. When fairly under my kind host's hospitable roof, I was shown into a room to cleanse and purify myself from all nautical disfigurements, and prepare for my Indian meal, which under the denomination of " tifl&n " (luncheon) was announced as speedily to be served. And while here sitting down for the first time since I left England, in solitude and quiet, after the many months of incessant excitement, and with the echo of the sound of many voices in my ear, my memory suddenly reverted to the dear home and its belongings, which I had left now some thousand of miles away. The image of my beloved mother, beautiful though in age, my numerous brothers and sisters of whom I, the seventeenth in number, was the yoimgest; my relations 32 THIETY-EIGHT YEARS IN INDIA. and many friends, especially the large family of the Blencowes, with whom I had lived almost as much as in my own home. The vision and reminiscence of all these entered my head and heart, and though full of hopeful anticipations and pleasurable impressions of our late voyage, and the new friends I had made, sadness for the moment came o'er the spirit of my dream, and the present was over- shadowed by the past ; even at this distance of time it is no slight pleasure to recall all the images of the days gone by, and while indulging in the remembrance, I am tempted to place on record two or three of the farewell tokens of love, received on the eve of my departure, love unfelt for a time, but not lost for ever. I had found time before I left England to see and personally to wish farewell to all my near relatives and special friends. One of my dear sisters, however, was too far off to admit of my seeing her, she therefore wrote the following affectionate and touching letter, which she sent with one also from her excellent husband ; she was married to the Eev. Francis Hodgson, the vicar of Bakewell, and subsequently provost of Eton, a man well-known in the learned and literary world. In the life of Francis Hodgson, lately published, I find the following passage referring to the marriage of my sister, in which Lord Byron and Dr. Drury took great interest : — " In October 1813, Byron, Drury, and Hodgson went together in a postchaise to Oxford, where Byron had an interview with Mrs. Tayler " (my mother), "who was on a visit to her brother, Dr. Hall, the Dean of Christ Church. PARTING LETTEES. 33 " The result of this interview was the removal of all objection to the intended marriage, which, however, did not take place until the beginning of the next year but one." After the death of my sister, Mr. Hodgson left Bake- well, and years afterwards married a daughter of Lord Denman, whose nephew wrote the biography from which this passage is quoted. The following is my sister's letter : — " June Sth, 1880. " My deaeest William, "As it is impossible for us to meet again before you leave England, I am forced to take leave of you with my pen only ; but be assured while I do so, that with my heart I embrace you as warmly as any of the affectionate relations by whom you are surrounded. " It was very good of you to wish to come and see us, and I shall always think of this with pleasure. 1 send you a letter- case, the most un toujours thing I could find in any of the Bakewell shops. " I send also with it a little book which will be dear indeed to you, as you will see directly you open it. The Diary of an Invalid, we hope, will help to amuse you on your voyage. " It was a great pleasure to me to hear of yom- taking my dear mother out in a little carriage ; it must have done her much good. " Thank God, you leave her in tolerable health, though I am afraid much fatigued and harassed just at present, and not much better for the thought of parting with you. But it must be very consoling to you, my dear William, to think that you have never been anything but a comfort to her, and may God bless you for it. To have gained entire independence at an early age, and in a manner so very honourable to yourself, is no trifling reward. " And now God Almighty bless you, my dear William. If you can find time to Bend me a few lines before you go, I shall value I. 3 34 TgiETY-EIGHT YEAES IN INDIA. them very much; but however this may be, take with you a very large portion of my affection, and my earnest prayers for your health and comfort while you are absent from us, and the happiness of seeing you among us again in a few years. " Heaven grant this. " I am ever your very affectionate sister, " Matilda Hodgson. " P.S. — I was just lamenting to myself over my unsatisfactory letter, when dear Mr. Hodgson brings me in one which expresses all I wish. Sarah sends you her best wishes and regards." Letter from Mr. Hodgson. " Vicarage, Bakewell, " June 8th, 1829. " My deae William, " It would, of course, have been a much more gratifying thing to your sister and myself if we could have bid you farewell in either BakeweU or in London, but as this seems impossible, all we can do is first to offer our earnest prayers for your best happiness, both in mind and body ; and, secondly, to express our affectionate wishes for the same results to your arduous undertaking. " Herewith you will receive some imperfect testimonies of our regards and love ; but we could send you nothing more valuable than these poor gifts, or warmer than what they signify. " Having executed my commissions, I have only to add my most hearty congratulations on your early attainment of such honour- able independence. Behold the rewards of good principle and energy ; may it please God for ever to enable you to preserve these first of human attainments, and you may then reasonably indulge the hope of return to your native land, full of honours, and in that happiest of all situations, the situation in which you may benefit and bless aU who are nearest and dearest to you. " God bless you, my dear William, and always remember me, your affectionate brother, " F. Hodgson." EBMINISCENCES OP PAST DATS. 35 One other short letter, from one whom I always regarded as a second mother, I am proud to give ; Mr. and Mrs. Blencowe, with their large family of three sons and eight daughters, had lived for years in a large house at Hayes, in Middlesex, and as the younger son was a schoolfellow with me at the Charter-House, and my own elder brothers were absent from home, I gen- erally spent my holidays with them, and from constant intercourse I was regarded by the parents almost as a son, and by the daughters as a brother. I had gone to Brighton, where at the time of my departure for India Mrs. Blencowe with her unmarried daughters was staying, and where one of my brothers was officiating as chaplain, but on the next morning, when the hour for taking leave arrived, the following little note was put into my hand, a touching proof of true affection which I never forgot : — " To say adieu to one I love so dearly is painful to me, therefore to avoid it I am gone out. Every blessing attend you. " Yours most affectionately, " P. Blencowe." Some years afterwards, in 1840, when I visited the Cape of Good Hope, I unexpectedly met the eldest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Blencowe, who had married Sir George Napier, the governor, and since I have returned home I have had the great pleasure of seeing the surviving daughters. Of my own sixteen brothers and sisters, alas ! one only is now living — my brother Frederick, whom I mentioned in the first chapter of this book. Such were the half-pleasant, half-painful reminiscences 3 • 36 THIRTY-EIGHT YEAES IN INDIA. which occupied my mind during the first undisturbed minutes which I passed in my quiet room. But the irrepressible present was now before me, the past was as a dream ; as I rose from my chair the reaUty of my position was forcibly brought to my mind, and I recognised the fact that I was in India, thousands of miles from home, that I was in a strange though hospitable house, and that " tiffin " was coming. I looked out of the window, and an unmistakably comic scene was exhibited, in which the principal actors were not men, women, children, or goblins, but, strange to say, a biped generally regarded as uninteresting and offensive, but which in India is a character well worthy of notice if not admiration, viz. — the crov). As this creature will present himself more than once in the course of this narrative to the observation and amusement of the reader, he is worthy of a separate chapter. 3? CHAPTEK IV. THE CEOW. Eemarks on my own Character. — Inconsistency. — Irrepressible Love of the Comic united to a painful Sensitiveness to the Pathetic. — Amusing Instance of my Weakness as exhibited in the Great Simla Trial. — Quotation from the Calcutta Press. — Irish Letter. — The Crow Scene from John Elliott's Window. — The Character of the Bu-d. — Its Inquisitiveness and Intelligence. — Various Instances as shown in Sketches. — Anecdotes. — Quotations from other Books. — 0. Trevelyan's Life of T. B. Macaulay. — Letter to the Daily Telegraph by the Eev. E. Cox. — Curious Quotations from Ancient Hindoo Works. — Mention of the Crow in the Sacred Scriptures. — Humorous Descrip- tion by Mark Twain. — Quotations from Phil Eobinson's My Indian Garden. In devoting the present chapter to the delineation of the peculiarities of the Indian crow, I would wish to disarm any hostile criticism which the choice of such a subject might possibly excite, by a few remarks on certain peculiarities in my own character, which I may be pardoned for mentioning. The first of these peculiarities, then, and one which has exercised a marked influence on my career (as will 38 THIBTY-EIGHT YEARS IN INDIA, be seen in subsequent chapters) is the uncontrollable propensity to discover in almost all events the elements of the comic, and this to an extent and under circum- stances which might lead the casual observer to attribute to me an absence of all serious and earnest conviction, and sometimes, possibly, a want of sympathy and kindly feeling. Now, a mere personal disavowal of such defects may or may not be accepted, but there is another characteristic in my disposition, familiar "to all who know me, which, while it is peculiar in itself, affords the best contradiction to such an unpleasant view of my dis- position, and that is, an extreme, a ludicrous, I may almost say an idiotic sensitiveness, which, even among my children and grandchildren is a subject of surprise and sometimes of amusement ; suffering from this peculiarity I am unable to read a book, or hear a story, or witness a play which contains any elements of sad- ness or distress, without making a great fool of myself, and distressing all who are with me. I am induced to offer this little egotistical explanation (an autobiography must be egotistical) that this irre- sistible love of the comic — which in the course of my career so frequently led to caricatures either of pen or pencil, satirical criticisms, or half- concealed ridicule, and which at times excited the displeasure of certain "grave and reverend seniors," and brought down upon me the censure of offended officialism — may not be attributed to hardness of heart, coldness of feeling, or absence of sympathy. Smiles and tears are generally syml^ols of opposite sensations, but it is also true that " there is one step from the subhme to the ridiculous." CHARACTBEISTIC INCIDENT AT SIMLA. 39 An amusing instance of this unseasonable weakness occurred some years ago, on a somewhat sensational occasion. During the progress of a celebrated court-martial which caused a great excitement at Simla in 1860, I was engaged, in my new capacity as law agent, to defend the prisoner, and at the close of the proceedings it was my privilege to read before the Court an elaborate address which I had written. The greater part of this address was occupied by argument on the several points of law involved, but just at the close I had added a somewhat pathetic appeal to the Court, reminding them that the whole future career and prospects of the prisoner, then a young man, were in their hands, with sundry other touching suggestions. As the time approached for reading this address I began to feel that I should in all probability make a fool of myself. I accordingly spoke to an officer sitting next to me, confessed my weakness, and asked him if I might, on being conscious of a breakdown, invent some excuse, and ask permission for him to read the closing passages. He ktadly consented, and it was lucky he did ; my prediction was verified, and, as arranged, I hemmed and coughed hypocritically, and obtained permission for my neighbour to take my place. Absurd as was this puerile weakness, it became more BO, to those at least who were not behind the scenes, when the principal Calcutta paper came out with a leading article which said at the close, after describing the scene, " We always knew that Mr. Tayler was a 40 THIKTY-EIGHT YEAES IN INDIA. great actor, but we never witnessed so consummate a piece of dramatic skill as was then exhibited." And the next day an Irishman wrote in another paper a most amusing letter on the same subject, from which I am tempted to give the following extract : — " OoH Sib, " Sure it would ha' done your heart and Hver good to hear ' the tailor ' read the defence (I'm tould that it wasn't quite according to Cocker for him to read it at all, at all, but these layers are the divil for working out their own ends). It was grand I and at one time the little gintleman worked himself up to such a pitch of nervosity by the pictur of misery he painted inside his own- head, that his feelings overpowered his powers of spache and he bruk down. " It was a pitiful sight, and the coort was moved to such a state of feeling that everybody expected the white-headed leader to get up perlitely and offer the spaker a glass of Innisshawn, nate ; and sure it would ha been the giutlemanly thing to do. " After onct breaking down of coorse the little gintleman couldn't put himself in trim again for spaking, so somebody else, a brother officer of the captain, had to finish reading the paper, and very well he did it, seeing that he gets nothing for the work, ^which the lawyer does. " I am tould, for I don't know of my own experience, that the little gintleman (the consulter) is a famous actor, and that he can cry and laugh with the best of 'em, for all the world so like nature, that even his pocket-handkerchief is desaved into the belafe that tears is comin into his eyes ; small wonder then that the coort, and particklarly the ould gintleman of it, was inclined to pipe too." But to return to my subject. I have already men- tioned the partial disappointment with which I had viewed the semi-oriental scene on my arrival in Calcutta, and my readers will probaby attribute my selection of the following objects for description to the comical SCENE IN THE YARD. 41 propensity which I have above admitted. But I do not think they will be without interest. Just opposite my window, where the kitchen and other offices were situated, I perceived a group of fifteen or twenty crows, some perched on the roof, some on the edge of the building, several on the ground, one or two slowly hopping, and others taking convulsive and short flights. It was a busy and engrossing moment, and the object of eager attention was evidently the "tiffin" under preparation in the kitchen. The crows of course knew it, as they always do know what is likely to benefit them. They all seemed to have their allotted parts, and appropriate attitudes; those on the ground with their heads forward, evidently watching the operations inside, and ready at any moment to take short rapid flights in case of danger; those on the ledge of the kitchen roof leaned over with heads perked on one side, listening and endeavouring to peer in from above ; those at a greater distance still seemed to be calculating the interval, and preparing for a distant dash. AU were cram-full of intelligent preparation and purpose. At last there was a grand stir. A khidmutgar * emerged from the kitchen with a covered dish. All were in the air in a moment ; all hovered round as the man crossed the yard, some almost touching his head, and quite equal to helping themselves out of the dish, if it had been unprotected. In another minute a second man * Table servant. 42 THIBTt-EIGHT TEARS IN INDIA. followed, with a dish uncovered ; the excitement then became intense, and had not a watchful companion been close behind, the leg of mutton in it would have lost no little of its substance. When they found themselves foiled they retired in apparently undisturbed humour, and satisfied themselves with some scraps which were thrown out of the kitchen door. This curious scene — the intelligence united with self- restraint, the cunning looks and quiet motion of the GENERAL CHAEAClEK OF THE CEOW. 43 birds — greatly interested me, and I am free to confess that I thought more of these than all the sights I had yet seen, and the all-pervading Gorvus Bengalensis was henceforth booked as one of the facts to be observed. The Indian crow is, in fact, an institution ; he per- vades every department of society, from the palace to the hut ; his love for man's companionship, the restless inquisitiveness of his mind, and the sympathetic in- terest which he appears to take in the arrangements, pursuits, and purposes of the human being with whom he may be said to associate, give him a distinctive, if not an entirely exceptional character. If a little brown baby of six months old is squatted :}iM^u.4~ff-: down in the mud, left by its mother to shift for itself, one or two busy crows, with curious and patronising 44 THIBTY-EIGHT TEARS IN INDIA. looks, are sure to remain near it, hopping round and peering into its face, but never doing harm to the infant. Sometimes, indeed, a stronger feeling than curiosity tempts him to disregard the difference of meum and tuum, and leads to unauthorised interference with the infant's property, but his peculations even then are conducted with a certain considerate abstemiousness which is quite foreign to the mind of the human thief. 'c^'^i7..y.-^m-^':ii Has a boy of more advanced years come to grief — perhaps dropped his basket — while his mother, nnheed- CBOW CONTINUED. 46 ing the accident, has walked before him, there is the irrepressible " corvus " clearly cognizant of the event, and while looking out for any possible contents which may be useful to himself, is ready to respond to the sufferer's call of Ma ! Ma ! by the sympathising Ca ! Ca ! And the presence of an older child is no efl&cient protection, as the persistent crow will still exhibit his interest in the infant, though in its nurse's arms. 46 THIETY-EIGHT YBABS IN INDIA. The peculiar attributes of the Indian crow did not escape the notice of Mr. Macaulay when in India. Mr. 0. Trevelyan, in his interesting life of that states- man, writes of him : "Regularly every morning his studies were broken in upon by the arrival of his baby niece, who came to feed the crows with the toast which accompanied his early cup of tea, a ceremony during which he had much ado to protect the child from the advance of a STILL THE CEOW. 47 multitude of birds, each almost as big as herself, which fluttered around her as she stood on the steps of the verandah." But I never witnessed a more striking instance of this bird's calculating intrusiveness than I did many years afterwards, in Cuttack, on an occasion when my wife, after severe illness, was lying on her couch, convalescent, but weak. One of the doors of her room was opened to admit the air, when a choice party of crows quietly entered from the verandah with cautious and hesitating hops, and commenced helping themselves to some of the delicacies there placed, utterly regardless of the threaten- ing gestures of the invalid and one of our little girls, who was in the room, the unreality of which they perfectly understood ; directly, however, our little boy came in, and made a genuine attempt vpith a real stick, they at once vanished. A picture of this will be given in a future chapter. In short, whenever man, woman, or child are sufficiently at rest, or engaged in occupations of sufficient interest to the ornithological mind, the crow is present, abrupt sometimes, and always inquisitive, but seldom rampant or antagonistic. The following sketch, taken on the course, i.e. the " Eotten Kow " of Calcutta, represents a scene specially attractive, from its peculiarity, to the inquiring corvine mind. A coolie,* overcome with fatigue, had settled himself, as depicted, inside his basket, where he was complacently * Common labourer. 48 THIETT-EIGHT YEAES IN INDIA. snoring, undisturbed by the crowds of carriages, eques- trians, and foot-passengers who were passing to and fro. An oriental "Diogenes," who, if he had not been " Bukshee Das," would, perhaps, have consented to be Governor-General of India. The lowly basket and sound sleep of the coolie reminded one of King Henry's soliloquy : — " Why rather, sleep, ly'st thou in smoky cribs, Upon uneasy pallets stretching thee ? Then happy low lie down. Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown." The crows are evidently asking one another what the strange attitude means ; one examines his head, the other his foot, and all three seem anxious for the sleeper's safety ! But the crow never enjoys himself more than when looking on at a game of romps, in which the actors are young and innocent. CROW ENJOYING A BOMP. 49 It is a curious fact — but one which has confirmed me in the justice of my selection of the crow as one, at least, of the celebrities of Calcutta — that since the cir- cumstance has been known, there is scarcely a friend who has not had some amusing anecdote to relate regarding him. A choice instance of this interesting biped's achieve- ments is to be read in a clever little work recently published by a young Bengal civilian, which I am here tempted to repeat : — " One day, a Cashmerian woman was found by a magistrate, lying on the ground, and weltering in her blood. I. 4 50 THIETY-EIGHT YEAUS IN INDIA. " On coming close to her, he perceived that her nose had just been cut o£f by her husband (the usual process when green-eyed jealousy incites). A doctor was called. He examined the woman and the nose which was lying on the ground, and expressed his confidence that it could be reunited to her face. The nose was then given by the magistrate to a native Mehtur (low-caste man) to wash. He put it down for a moment and turned his back ! " Alas for this mutilated wife ! A crow, which had been an unregarded spectator of the scene, seized the opportunity, and in that moment pounced down and carried off the bleeding nose in triumph ! — a tit bit, an unexpected feast for the watchful bird and his family !" Many and various are the records of this bird's eccentric proceedings, and I always feel that he himself regards me as a friend, and sympathises with me in the love for the ridiculous. Dr. Smith, our excellent clergy- man at Boulogne, where I commenced this work, and who had passed many years in India, tells me that a crow once actually built its nest on the top of the weather-cock of a church in Calcutta, in which he was then performing service ! An interesting little book, Natural History, Sport, and Travel, lately published by my son-in-law, Mr. E. Lockwood, also gives the following characteristic instance of corvine intelligence. He writes: — "The crows were great protectors of an aviary which I had made in my house, for a pair of shikra hawks would often come and siton a casuarina, a tree close by, watching the birds in the cage with longing eyes, and occasionally, when the coast was clear, swoop down at them ; but they never could remain there long, MOEE ABOUT THE CEOW. 51 for the crows, which regarded my garden as their own property, persecuted them so vigorously that they were always forced to retreat." On one occasion, I witnessed a deliberate struggle between human and corvine intellect, in which my inte- resting friends were the sufferers. It is a process which very few have witnessed, and though the man in the end was victorious, it vsras only by the exercise of incessant perseverance and profound deceit. A description and picture of this will be given in my second volume, when treating of my residence at Arrah, the station at which I witnessed the scene. Meanwhile, I am tempted to quote the following letter which appeared, a short time ago, in the columns of a leading journal, as the facts open up another phenomenon in connection with the intellectual faculties of my here, and tend to justify my selection : — "KAVENS AND ROOKS. " To the Editor of the Daily Telegraph. "SlE, " Eeferring to your article to-day as to a raven trial in Switzerland, I am reminded of having, between fifty and sixty years ago, witnessed a similar event with rooks. On a sultry summer afternoon I was riding leisurely on horseback along a quiet road in Norfolk, not many miles distant from Norwich, when I was startled by hearing an unusual commotion within a short distance amongst the dwellers of an adjacent rookery. Quietly tying up my horse to a gate, I crawled some hun- dred feet or more to a gap in the hedge of a grass field, where a rook "trial by jury" was going on. The criminal, as un- doubtedly he was, at first appeared very perky and jaunty, although 4 • 52 THIETY-EIGHT TEAKS IN INDIA. encircled by about forty or fifty of an evidently indignant sable fraternity, and assailed by the incessantly vehement cawing of an outer ring, consisting of many hundreds, each and all showing even greater indignation than was manifested by the more select number. Some crime or other had evidently been committed against rook- law. Scouts, too were hovering in all directions, but so absorbed were they that my vicinity was unheeded. After a very few minutes the manner of the criminal suddenly and wholly changed. He bent his head, cawed weakly, as it were imploringly, and drooped his wings, as if pleading for mercy. It was useless. The select circle went in at once, and, picking him to pieces, left a mangled carcase in less time than I write of it. Then they and all the rest, scouts as well, set up a sort of exulting screaming and flew away, some to their neighbouring home, and others — the greater number I may say — across the fields. On picking up ' the remains ' I found a shapeless mass, but was able to discern that it was a male bird. " I am, Sir, faithfully yours, " J. Edmund Cox, D.D. " Athenaeum Club, " August 18th, 1880." As I have written so much on the subject of this interesting biped, whose names, " crow," " crawe," "kraha," "kraagen," icpa^u), and many other such croaking sounds, pervade all languages, I must not omit to refer in a few words to the early period of his existence, and point to the important position which many centuries ago he occupied, both in Asiatic and European annals. My readers will probably be surprised to hear that at some painfully remote period, long before the present world was created, the crow was able to boast of his antiquity prior even to the almighty " Brahma," as the following quotation will show ; — ANTIQUITY 01* I'HE CEOW. 53 " Brahma commanded that witnesses should be heard, and first he called upon the crow. But the crow was busy with her devotion, and cried, ' Who art thou that callest me ? ' 'It is I, Brahma, the master of the Vedas, and dost thou, poor carrion bird, dare to despise my summons ? ' Then said the ancient crow, ' Which Brahma art thou ? I have seen a thousand Brahmas live and die. There was he with a thousand faces, whose existence was as a period of five days to me. Thou wast born but yesterday from the body of Vishnu, and commandest thou me ? ' Then Brahma entreated the crow, and she declared it was Indradyumna that had built the temple." Again, we read that a crow was rocking itself on a tree — on some solemn occasion — when " suddenly taking a glorious form, it soared into the heaven of Vishnu." The above quotations are taken from Dr. Hunter's admirable work on Indian statistics, and, if we believe them, would give us rather an ennobled idea of our black friend. Passing over these absurd legends, however, which are calculated to exhibit the incredible extent of super- stitious idiotcy, it is curious to observe the frequent mention that is made of the raven in scripture. I need hardly remind my readers that the raven — which is a species of crow, called by zoologists (corvus coras) — though declared by the Levitical law to be "unclean," was the bird selected to feed Elijah at the brook Cherith, as related in the 17th chapter of the 1st of Kings. Without venturing on the speculations which have 64 THIETY-EIGHT YEAES IN INDIA. been offered by some writers on the apparent incon- sistency involved by this employment of an animal pronounced " unclean," and " not to be touched," on a mission of divine charity, I may, without presumption, point to the frequent mention of the bird in Scripture as investing it with peculiar interest, and rendering its habits and peculiarities worthy of more than ordinary notice. No other bird, in fact, is so frequently mentioned. That the parent birds neglect their young is an idea suggested by the following passages : — Job xxxviii. 41 : " Who provideth for the raven his food ? when his young ones cry unto God, they wander for lack of meat." And again, in Psalms clxvii. 9 : " He giveth to the beast his food, and to the young ravens which cry." While the peculiar savageness of its nature is intimated in Proverbs by the reference to its habits of attacking the eyes of its antagonists. Proverbs xxx. 17 : " The eye that mocketh at his father, and despiseth his mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it." Whether this neglect of their young is the habit at this day, I cannot say, but the custom of attacking the eyes of its prey is undoubted. Some writers have discovered a hidden meaning in the fact that the raven was the first bird sent out of the ark, when the waters of the flood were subsiding ; and have attributed the'circumstance of his not returning, to the foulness of his character, which induced him to prefer the desolateness of the scene without to the comfort of the ark ; and they have thereby drawn the conclusion that he was a type of Satan, while the dove which returned was a symbol of Our Saviour. Mark twain*s inteeview. 56 But I confess I regard this as somewhat overdrawn, inasmuch as the natural habits of the two birds are quite sufficient to account for their movements. The raven feeds on carrion, and probably found food suited to his taste on the partial subsidence of the waters. The dove eats grain, of which there could have been none at that time. My readers will doubtless remember in the Song of Solomon the complimentary comparison with the raven's hair : " His locks are bushy, and black as the raven." Mark Twain, like so many others, has helped to immortalise this strange bird, moved by its inquisitive and intelligent manner. The following is a passage from The Tramp. After a graphic and witty description of a raven, which to all appearance was taking special notice of him, and, after a short parley, summoned another to aid in observing him, with the apparent desire to tempt him to communication — a scene most cleverly described, and almost warranted, as I have before pointed out, by the bird's extraordinary intelligence — he continues : " I still made no reply. Now the adversary raised his head and called. There was an answering croak from a little distance in the wood, evidently a croak of enquiry. The adversary explained with enthusiasm, and the other raven dropped everything and came. The two sat side by side on the limb, and discussed me as freely and offensively as two great naturalists might discuss a new kind of bug. The thing became more and more embarrassing. They called in another friend. This was 66 thirty-Eight teaes in india. too much. I saw that they had the advantage of me, and so I concluded to get out of the scrape by walking out of it. They enjoyed my defeat as much as any low white people could have done. They craned their necks and laughed at me (for a raven can laugh just like a man), they squalled insulting remarks after me as long as they could see me. They were nothing but ravens — I knew that what they thought about me could be a matter of no consequence — and yet when even a raven shouts after you — What a hat ! 0, pull down your vest ! and that sort of thing, it hurts you and humiliates you, and there is no getting around it with fine reasoning arguments." The crow has also found a place in the clever and eccentric little work, In my Indian Garden, written by Mr. Phil. Robinson, and published by Mr. Edwin Arnold in 1878 ; in that the bird is dignified with the title of Splendens — which the author says is the scientific name given him by Yiellot. Mr. Robinson's description of the bird is not quite so flattering as mine — for it is " all black " — leaving no room even for the little interval of grey which softens the neck of the Indian species ; but I shall hope that impartial inquiry will justify my more favourable portrait, and that Gorvus Bengalensis, may, on further careful inves- tigation, be found to possess at least a moderate mixture of good and evil. Reverenced by the great Brahma fifty thousand years ago, entrusted in times long past with a divine and miraculous mission, intelligent, as it undoubtedly is, above most of the feathered tribes, amiably considerate, as I have shown him to be, towards his infant companions, and held up by the great Indian Farewell to The grow. 61 lawyer Menu (whom Mr. Robinson quotes) as the model for a wife, — we may, I think, deprecate the name and title of " Devil," and " inventor of mischief," and accept Jiim as depicted by the nursery rhyme — a happy combination of joy and grief. " One of sorrow, Two of mirth ; Three a wedding, Four a birth.' 58 THIEtT-EIGHT ITEARS IN IKDlA. CHAPTER V. NOTABILITIES OF CALCUTTA. The Adjutant. — Name and Characteristic. — Cmel Treatment in former Days. — My Tragic Adventure with one of them in Camac Street. — Narrow Escape of Old Lady. — Adjutant and Infantry.^ — The Keranchee.— Called by Bishop Heber the "Grhost of a Hackney Coach." — Derivation of Name. — General Champigny. — The " Boxwala." — Character. — Profession. — Dialogue with Lady. — The " Tattoo."— Descrip- tion. — Character. — Peculiarities. — Endurance and Breed. — Simdi-y Occupations. — Latter Days. — " In Extremis." — Crow in Anticipation. Although I have, without any hesitation or qualms of conscience, given the palm to "Monsieur Corbeau " (Gorvus Bengalensis) as facile princeps among the interest- ing notabilities of India, there are other objects well worthy of passing remark. Among these may safely be mentioned the " adjutant." The native name of this remarkable bird is, properly pronounced, " hur-gila," or bone-swallower ; but in the scientific glossary it has been converted into " argala," the name by which it is commonly known in India. How he obtained the more The adjutant '' unde deeivatue.*' 69 familiar appellation of " adjutant " I have not yet ascertained, but perhaps the adjoining sketch may suggest the origin. The practice at times of standing in rows, with the exactitude of military discipline, especially when any- thing is going on that attracts their attention and excites their gastric aspirations, at times gives them the ap- pearance of a detachment of well-drilled soldiers. 60 THIBTY-EIGH']! YEABS IN INDIA. His military connection witli " infantry " will be seen below. v^'p.ro'' The bird belongs to the genus Oiconia, and is often confounded with the "maribou," or African crane. I do not observe in the usual description of this bird any mention of the power which it possesses of elon- gating and contracting the pouch which hangs from its neck, a peculiar and eccentric characteristic. The manner and bearing of the " adjutant," and the whole tenor of its daily life, is remarkable. The calm majestic dignity of its aspect and attitude, when un- disturbed by any exciting incident, is worthy of imitation by archbishop, judge, or emperor. For hours together, BAEBAEITIES OF PAST DAYS. 61 if not for the entire day, he remains perched on arch or wall, sometimes alone in solitary grandeur, at others, when there is special attraction, as on the wall of the Calcutta burial-ground, attended by a host of com- panions; sometimes standing on two legs, sometimes only on one, and sometimes squatting like a native, ■his small eye occasionally blinking, and his head at intervals slightly turned aside ; otherwise motionless, undisturbed by passing events, indifferent alike to rain and sunshine ; the model of philosophic calm and im- passive self-content. In former times, when the Calcutta police were less active than now, the unhappy adjutants v?^ere not un- frequently the victims of unfeeling sailors or mischief- loving boys. The habit of seizing at one swoop and immediately swallowing any large bone or lump of flesh, which has given the name, suggested to some ingenious trickster the ludicrous though cruel idea of throwing down two bones covered with attractive remains of flesh, at a small distance from each other, but united with a strong cord a few feet in length ; the effect was obvious, and, to all but the unhappy bone-swallower himself, en- chanting. Rising simultaneously with the bones irrecoverably gulped down, the unhappy birds found themselves united by the intervening cord, without the possibility of relief. What were their feelings it would be difficult to say, but the agonising contortions, the helpless condition of the weaker bird while being dragged nolens volens through the air by his more powerful brother, and the final catastrophe, which generally ended in reluctant but 62 THIETY-EIGHT TEARS IN INDIA. rapid descent to terra jirma, and the rude interference of their tormentors or other compassionate spectators, — all these irrepressible vagaries formed a spectacle amusing to the unfeeling, but not pleasant to the unhappy birds. Like turkeys, chameleons, and sensitive young ladies, however, the adjutant can, on special occasions, change colour, calling up at times a mantling blush into the neck, and at other times assuming a very disagreeable and unseemly brown. When movement becomes im- perative he can never rise to the wing at once, but is obliged to take a sort of " hop, skip, and jump," as a preliminary to the ascent, and always turns his face to the wind when it rains, and shortens the neck. With one of these grave and stately birds I was once, by my own fault, most painfully associated. While living in Camac Street in 1831, just after our first return from Cuttack, I was assailed by, and, I am ashamed to say, yielded to a sad temptation. Exactly opposite to the windows of one of our sitting-rooms was an out- lying roof, belonging to one of the neighbouring houses, and on this roof, with a pertinacity which was infinitely provoking, though a little ridiculous, an ancient adjutant day by day, at a particular hour in the morning, took up his position, serenely standing, generally on one leg, the other being raised in the most illogical and unmeaning elevation, the bird himself being in attitude, expression, and bearing, save only when he changed his legs, immovable as a statue. After some few days of patient endurance, my evil genius got the better of me. Unfortunately I possessed a bow and arrow, not of very formidable dimensions, but sufficient to cause very unpleasant sensations to a AWFUL INCIDENT. 63 living body who might be reached by the missive. On one inauspicious morning, I entered the room ; the window was open ; the ancient of days was there — had been there probably all night ; I yielded to an inde- scribable impetus, placed the arrow on the string, and pulled ! The good angel of the bird protected him, the grave head gave a gentle movement, the eye ap- peared to wink mildly, but to the relief of my better nature, the venerable biped was unhurt. The arrow, missing the bird, passed innocuously beyond — and entered the open window of an opposite house ! Now it happened that in that very room was an old lady of high degree, clothed in a rather shabby white dressing-gown. She was standing very near the window, superintending the rubbing-down of a highly prized mahogany table. My eye followed the arrow as it sped 64 TIIIETy-EiaHT YEAES IN INDIA. past the unoffending adjutant, and I at once, with a cold shudder, realised the position ! The old lady's figure was clearly visible in the recess of the open window. Dreadful to behold ! horror of horrors ! the arrow entered the room, whizzed close by her, and buried its head in the wall ! My feelings may be better imagined than described. I returned like a guilty being, made an internal yow never again to shoot at an unoffending adjutant, and awaited the result. A few hours afterwards came a stern and serious letter from a member of the Council, the Honourable W. Blunt, couched in just reprobation of my reprehensible conduct. I, of course, humbly apologised, and there the matter ended ; but the vision of the old lady and adjutant, with the horrible catastrophe so narrowly escaped, was for many days present to my mind. One more peculiar object, though inanimate, deserves mention, viz. the old Indian hackney coach, now obsolete. The " keranchee," as it is called, is an inde- scribable vehicle, a cross between a dilapidated jarvey of olden time and a Bengal hackery, having the body of the one and the heavy yoke of the other — a vehicle which Bishop Heber pithily described as the "ghost of a hackney coach." And " ghost " verily it has now become, for as civili- sation has advanced, and the importance of rapid locomotives has been recognised, its slow and creaking faculties have been found unsuited to the requirements of young India. During my first ten or fifteen years, however, the keranchee was in its glory. "What the derivation of the name, may be a puzzle to the etymologist. Kepavpoi " e, THE KEEANCHEE. 65 thunderbolt," is possible from the noise, certainly not the rapidity of motion ; Kepawvfn " mix," from the melange of its occasional occupants, has suggested itself ; both have been rejected, and heranee, " a clerk, or writer," has met with partial favour, as this particular class were known patrons of the vehicle to convey them to and from office. There is another name by which the carriage was once known, viz. the " champagnee," and this owes its origin to an incident worthy of record. It is said that a General Champigny, in ancient times, had the temerity once to commit his person to the tender mercies of this ricketty conveyance when going out to dinner with the Governor- General, and that, to the consternation of the vice-regal autocracy, and to the perplexity of the sentinel on duty, it was actually driven up to the very door of Government House ! Whether this was done from eccentricity, ignorance, or inability to procure another conveyance, deponent sayeth not ; a facetious friend suggests that the general may have been a little champagn'y himself on the occasion. No one ever saw a new keranchee, any more than a dead donkey ; they seem to spring into existence clothed cap-d-pie, though with most rusty armour, like Minerva from the head of Jupiter. Throughout the whole range of the wheeled world, from the Grecian Si(j)po